Cap-feeder for bottle-capping machines.



L. STREBEL. CAP FEEDER. FOR BOTTLE GAPPING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JUNE18,1913.

Patented Aug. 11, 19M.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L. STREBBL.

GAP FEEDER FOB- BOTTLE GAPPING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 13, 1913.

mwfi mw, Patented Aug. 11, 914.

2 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

' ears arnr men.

LOUIS STREIBEL, OF BERGENFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

CAP-FEEDER FOR BOTTLE-CAPIEING MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS STREBEL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Bergenfield, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cap Feeders for Bottle-Capping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved cap-feeder for bottle-capping machines by which the caps are fed in a reliable manner from the supply-hopper to the capping die; and for this purpose the invention consists of a cap-feeder for the capping ma chine which comprises a feed-hopper, a receiving compartment below the same, a semicircular guard-plate in the upper part of the compartment, a rotary feed-cone provided with a paddle and a supply-opening adjacent to the paddle for taking up the caps from the feed-compartment, said cone having a flange, and a feed-disk forming a channel withthe flange for conducting the caps to a feed-chute.

The invention consists further of certain details of construction which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side-elevation of my improved cap-feeder for bottle-capping Inachincs, Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on line 22, Fig. 4, Figs. 3 andA are vertical transverse sections on lines 3-3 and 4 4, Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the feed-cone shown detached, Fig. (3 is a perspective view of the feed-disk, Figs. 7 and 8 are detail vertical sections, drawn on a larger scale, of the-delivery-channel for the caps, Fig. 7 showin a cap which is fed in inverted position, an Fig. 8 a cap which is fed in the required position so as to permit it to pass to the feed-chute, and Fig. 9 is a top-view of a bottle-cap of any approved construction as usually fed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, it represents the hopper and e the intermediate feed-com partment, which is supported in stationary position on a bracket 0 at the upper end of the pillar 79 of the bottle-capping ma- Theh chine. opper is connected with the compartment 0 by means of a tube M. In

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 13, 1913.

Patented Aug. 111, 191%. Serial No. 773,402.

the compartment 0 is arranged a semicircular guard-plate I), which is attached at its uppcr end to the tube or throat [2, and which extends to the sleeve-shaped supportlng hearing if for the rotary feed-cone, said bearing being cast integral with the rearwall of the compartment 0, and said sleeve supporting a shaft 8 to which rotary mot on 1s imparted by a bevel-gear transmission 9*, and a gear-wheel transmission g, the bevel-wheel g and gear-wheel g? belng on a common hub and freely rotatablc together on the pillar p. The gearwheel is applied to the upper end of an upright shaft 8 to-whioh motion is imparted by means of gear-wheels 9 g". A cam-disk g, connected with the gear-Wheel g imparts vertically-reciprocating motion to the capping plunger d of the capping die (Z which is shown and described in a separate application for Letters Patent filed by n e at the same time herewith. The motion-transmitting shaft 8 is supported in bearings of brackets e, 6 supported on the upright pillar 72.

To the rotary shaft .9 is applied, adjacent to the supporting bearing, the hub f of a cone-shaped hopper f, which is rotated in a cylindrical extension 0 of the compartment 0. The feed cone f is provided at one point of its circumference with an opening 0, and with a radial paddle 0 adacent one edge of the opening, the paddle serving for taking along caps accumulated in the bottom of the compartment 0 and lifting them alon the side of the compartment until they all through the opening 0 to the interior of the feed-cone f. From the interior of the feed-cone the caps fall into a circular channel formed between a circumferential flange f of the cone and a feeddisk f which is supported on the end of the shaft .9 between a shoulder f at the inside and a screw-nut f and washer f at the outside of the disk. The circumferential channel f formed between the flange f and the disk f is closed by a laterally-extending circumferential flange f of the compartment. The lower part of the channel 1 is connected by a chute a with the lower end of the capping die (P, the upper end of the chute being attached to :1 lug at the lower part of the compartment 0, as shown clearly in Fig.

on the circumference of the disk, and a second shoulder i opposite the loweredge of the inclined shoulder 2'. An. annular depression i is made in the disk between the last-namedshoulder and the outer edge of the disk i as shown clearly in Figs. 7 and 8. This configuration of the channel f with the cap-selectiVe-elements arranged in the direction of discharge of the cap, namely from inside toward outside of the drum, permits the passage of the caps e fed into the chute a, as shown in Fig. '4', without being obstructed in their delivery; while when a cap is fed in inverted position, shown in Fig. 8, it cannot pass through the channel,

- but is carried along by the rotating cone and disk, and when by rotation that part of the cone and disk arrives again at its upper position the wrongly placed cap falls downward, in return direction, in the channel f", back into the interior of the feed-cone,

where it undergoes agitation with the other caps therein and is fed again to the channel in either correct or reversed position, according to its chance arrangement at the instant of feeding. A second opening is provided in the feed-cone, as shown in Fig, 4, said opening 0 serving to permit discharge from the cone of those caps not introduced into the channel f By this construction of theannular channel between the disks 1 and f, the caps are fed in the position required for the capping die in a reliablemanner, and a sufficient-supply of caps is provided at all times even when the capping machine is working at high speed.

I claim: 1. A cap-feeder for bottle'capping machines, which comprises a hopper, a feedcompartment below the hopper, an inclined guard-plate in sai compartment, a rotary feed-cone in the compartment provided with a paddle at its circumference and an opening adjacent to said paddle, said cone being provided with a circumferential flange, and a'feed-disk in front of the flange of the feed-cone forming a channel with said flange, and a dellvery-chute for the caps connected with the lower part of the feedcompartment.

2. A cap-feeder for bottle-capping machines, which comprises a feed-hopper, a feed-compartment connected therewith, a delivery-chute at the lower end of said compartment, a rotary feed-cone in said compartment provided with an opening and a fixed paddle adjacent said opening for transmitting caps from the feed-compartment to the feed-cone, a flange at the larger end of the feed-cone, and a disk in front of said feed-cone and rotating with the same, said flange and disk forming between them an annular throat for permitting the delivery of the caps when inproper position, but preventing delivery and returnin the caps into the feed-cone when in inverted position.

, 3. A cap-feeder, comprising a stationary feed-compartment, a rotary feed-cone having an inlet-opening therefrom, means carried by said feed-cone .for picking up a limited quantity of caps from said compartment at each rotation thereof and guiding them intosaid cone through theinletopen'-' ing, an outlet-opening in said feed-cone adapted to discharge caps therefrom mt'o said compartment, said outlet-opening- .be-

ing spaced from the inlet-opening, andcapf selective means cooperating with said-feedfeed compartment, a rotar eed-cone having an inlet-opening there rom,-means carried by limited quantity of caps from said com partment at each rotation thereof and uiding them intosaid cone through the 1nlet opening, an outlet-opening in said feed-cone adapted to discharge caps therefrom into 4. A cap-feeder, comprisin a stationary said feed-cone for picking up a Y said compartment, said outlet-opening be- 1 ing spaced from the inlet-opening and locatedin the periphery of the cone, and capselectlve means cooperating with said feedcone.

5. A cap-feeder, comprising a stationary eed-cone -hav-- feed-compartment, a rotary ing a peripheral inlet therefrom, said feedcompartmentextending below said feed-cone and said inlet-opening thereof, means carried by said feed-cone for picking up a lim- A ited quantity of caps from said compartment at each rotation of the cone and guiding them therein through said inlet-opening, an outlet-openin said feed-cone, space from the inlet-opening and adapted to discharge caps at each rotation thereof into said compartment below the cone, and cap-selective means co-.

operating with said feed-cone.

in the periphery of In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name 1n presence of two subscribing witnesses. [Louis STREBEL. Witnesses: i

PAUL GOEPEL, J OHN MURTAGH. 

